Kent Conrad to retire

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Washington Post

Posted at 9:33 AM ET, 01/18/2011
Kent Conrad to retire
By Chris Cillizza

North Dakota Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad plans to announce his retirement today, according to two informed Democratic sources, creating a potentially prime pickup opportunity for Republicans in a GOP-leaning state.


Conrad, who currently chairs the Senate Budget Committee, has been in office since 1986 and risen to become one of the most influential -- and intellectual -- policy makers operating in the nation's capital.

Conrad had been open about his ambivalence about running for another term and those doubts almost certainly increased following a 2010 election that decimated the Democratic party.

Former Sen. Byron Dorgan retired in the face of a challenge from popular Governor-now-Senator John Hoeven while former Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D) was defeated by Rick Berg.



Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/kent-conrad-to-retire.html

[Demeter]

1. I Smell a Scandal...

[Dennis Donovan]

3. ...or maybe he's worried about getting shot?

:shrug:

[avaistheone1]

5. ,,,or maybe he has a promising $$$$ lobbyist job lined up?

Maybe working for those poor health care companies so that their CEOs can make more millions of dollars each year in their salaries.

[karynnj]

16. He did have a mortgage with countryside - like Dodd

I suspect the reason is similar to Dorgan's reason - the state has moved to the right and it would be tough. Also, the last -at least a dozen years have been really hard to deal with the incivility.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Kent Conrad Retiring From Senate: Report

Kent Conrad Retiring From Senate: Report

Kent Conrad, a Democratic senator from North Dakota, will announce that he is retiring later today, according to Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post.

Earlier in January, Conrad aired a radio ad in advance of a possible 2012 reelection campaign.

Conrad is the first Senate Democrat to announce he will not seek reelection in 2012.

More to come..

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/18/kent-conrad-retiring-senate_n_810246.html

[avaistheone1]

4. Good riddance.

Kent Conrad was key in axing single payer, and has been targeting Social Security for reductions.

I am sure he will find some lush job as a whoring lobbyist.

[frazzled]

7. I'm sure you'll love the Tea Partier who will replace him.

The nihilism here astounds me.

[avaistheone1]

9. Boohoo.

Please Conrad isn't much better than a republican.

So sorry, I forgot he's a BIG hero for killing single payer, and advocating for Social Security cuts. F-ing BOOHOO!!!

[brooklynite]

10. Let's look at his voting record:

DADT Repeal: Yes
DREAM Act: Yes
START Treaty: Yes
Health Care Reform: Yes
Sotomayor Nomination: Yes
Kagen Nomination: Yes

Nope, not a dime's worth of difference from the GOP...

[avaistheone1]

12. Sorry

There are better Dems out there. He doesn't deserve the seat imo. Conrad has done a lot of damage. What the hell is a guy from a little state like that wielding so much power? He has been out of touch with what the American people want for quiet awhile. I have watched him for some time. He is one in a line of corporatist Dems that need to GO!!!

[Imajika]

13. This is North Dakota we are talking about...

Conrad was about the best we could do from that state. He will almost certainly be replaced by a far right teabagger who will be FAR more destructive than Conrad ever was.

"There are better Dems out there. He doesn't deserve the seat imo."

Oh sure, there are lots of great Dems out there, but the ones you'd like will almost certainly lose in N.D.

This is very, very bad news. In 2012, this seat now goes from Lean Dem/Tossup, to Likely Rep/Solid Rep. Remember, the GOP only needs 4 more pickups to take the Senate, and Democrats have to defend far, far more seats than Republicans in the next election cycle.

[Dave From Canada]

15. Exactly. Having Dems like him in red states help keep the Senate controlled by more progressive

people. He may not vote with the party 100%, but he helps the party keep control of the legislative agenda.

[Odin2005]

19. ND Pukes tend to be libertarian-ish paleocons, not teabaggers.

[global1]

8. When Repeal Of The Health Reform Bill Hits The Senate.....

How will Conrad vote? He doesn't have anything to lose being a lame duck. Would he vote with the Repugs?

[karynnj]

17. No one person axed single payer

Bernie Sanders said there were only 10 Senators for it. Tell me how anyone passes that.

[frazzled]

6. The Democratic brain drain

We're losing a lot of good people, either by electoral defeat or attrition.

I''d guess he's just frustrated with the way things are working in the Senate, and he doesn't want to go through another election: having to raise kazillions of dollars while having your opponent demonize you. I don't blame him for wanting to get out of this smarmy business. The more diligent you are--and Kent Conrad is one of the more diligent members of Congress--the less you are appreciated in this Palinized world.

[Imajika]

11. He will most likely be replaced by a Teabagger...

...in 2012.

This is pretty terrible news and makes it even more likely that the Republicans may win the Senate in the next election cycle.

[karynnj]

20. I wonder if forner Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth.would have a good chance

Wasn't her loss very close in a very bad year - 2010? Dorgan's seat was won by the then Governor. It might be that they can keep this seat.

[keopeli]

14. Love or hate Conrad, we should be framing the contest in our favor.

Every poster here describes ND as solid Republican Teabagger America. All framing is that this contest is all but lost for the Dems. Why?

It sounds like Conrad is handling the shift well, allowing the party to organize and find a suitable candidate. Perhaps s/he will be a centrist or moderate, but it will be a Democrat.

A lot of people in ND have voted for Democrats recently, ergo Conrad and others. Calling them all teabaggers, saying this is Republic's territory, and virtually ceding the seat is setting the wrong tone.

I think we can ask the people of ND to vote sensibly. I think we can frame the debate in our favor using facts, truth and solid solutions. While Conrad was not my favorite Senator, he has served his country and his state in our American political system and he has helped move us toward becoming a more perfect union. I thank Conrad and the people of ND for their wisdom and call on them to continue to lead the nation by sticking with the Democratic Party when the time comes to vote, because Democrats are real people with real perspectives and real solutions. Republics, who vote in lock-step regardless of what their individual districts want, will only represent large corporations and wealthy donors. And we all know where that has gotten us to date.

We're counting on you, North Dakota!

[Odin2005]

18. Good riddance, that Corproatist POS.